1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a steering axle assembly for a wheel body of a vehicle, which has a vehicle frame. The wheel body may, for example, be a roller drum of a vibratory tandem roller of a steerable steering wheel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
German Patent Document 30 12 003 discloses a road roller having two roller drums provided on a vehicle frame, one of said roller drums being a steerable steering drum. The steering drum is mounted in a steering frame. A vehicle steering axle is rigidly connected with the steering frame. Anti-friction bearing means are provided for the steering axle. Rubber elements are arranged as support elements between the vehicle frame and the steering axle. In German Patent Document No. 30 12 003, the bearing means for the steering axle are attached to a bridge element, which is connected to the vehicle frame through two longitudinally spaced rubber elements. These rubber elements permit tilting of the steering drum relative to the vehicle frame and absorb impacts which occur, when the road roller hits on obstacles. There the steering axle is non-displaceably retained in axial direction relative to the bridge element and the bearing.
With this assembly, the steering roller is connected with the vehicle frame through the rubber elements only. This is a rather unstable design.
With these and similar vibratory tandem rollers, the steering movement is usually effected by means of a hydraulically actuated jack, which is arranged between the vehicle frame and the steering frame. In many cases, the hydraulic jack is a double-acting cylinder having two opposite directions of operation.
German Pat. No. 651 355 discloses a road roller, the steering drum body of which consists of two spaced drums arranged side by side. These drums of the steering drum body are rotatably mounted on separate stub axles provided with vertical pivot pins. The pivot pins are rotatable by means of a common steering axle and are vertically displaceable against the action of springs. The springs are helical springs which surround the pivot pins.
This is a complex special construction which is susceptible to failure.